(HT: Joseph who did all the groundwork for this post but couldn’t write it before his business flight.)

On July 11th at approximately 10:55 p.m., the 911 call center in Delaware County received a telephone call requesting immediate assistance at the residence of State Senator Kris Jordan. An unidentified female voice simply requested assistance, provided the residential address for Senator Jordan, and hung up. The 911 call center then dialed the number that dialed in and talked to a woman who identified herself as “Melissa,” which is the name of Senator Jordan’s wife.

The 911 center asked if there was a domestic situation. Melissa first said no. She then said she needed “noone.” Then she changed her mind and said she needed the police. The Sheriff’s Office dispatcher then asks Melissa if her husband is standing beside her, and she indicates “Yes…. We’re alright….. We’re alright.” Melissa then acknowledges that her husband is aware that she is on the phone with the police and then said again, unsolicited that “…We’re alright.”

She reports the presence of guns in the house and then says that she doesn’t want anyone to be sent. When asked if it was physical or just verbal, she tells the 911 center she needs a second as she then is overhead talking about the question with her husband. Melissa then says that she “doesn’t want any response now.” After she indicated that Sen. Jordan has walked away, she then says that she never called before, but she cannot take it anymore because this keeps happening. She then indicated that he had a weapon on him, while apparently intoxicated, but had taken it off. She later says that he never threatened her with a gun. Both apparently have a CCW permit. She said that he started arguing with her and pushing around. Again, she had said this has happened a lot, she couldn’t put up with it anymore and had to call. Now, she wants to take it all back.

We need to note that Senator Jordan has not been criminally charged a week after this incident occured. The report indicates that Mrs. Jordan showed no signs of physical injury (although she didn’t report any.) The incident report indicates that he is being investigated for fourth-degree misdemeanor domestic violence, not first-degree misdemeanor.

No person, by threat of force, shall knowingly cause a family or household member to believe that the offender will cause imminent physical harm to the family or household member.

But, again, that is just what the report indicates was the potential charge that is being investigated. No actual charges have been filed. The report, and Melissa’s comments in the 911 call, indicate that “alcohol” was a factor. As in, that Senator Jordan had become intoxicated when the disturbance occurred… and he reportedly had a firearm on him.

Melissa Jordan begged the 911 center to just cancel the call. She kept talking about wanting to “throw up” over the issue. At one point, she tells the operator that Senator Jordan indicated that they were “over” because she had called them in the first place and that calling 911 caused him to start throwing stuff around the house.

I won’t pretend to guess what actually occurred in the home, but as a gun rights supporter, Senator Jordan should surrender his CCW permit, and if not, he should have it revoked. He’s providing fodder for every critic of the legislation Governor Kasich signed into law that permits CCW permit holders to lawfully carry a weapon in an establishment that serves alcohol unless the owner posts signs forbidding it.

As for the domestic violence allegation, I don’t know what actually happened. So far, with no evidence of any injury and an uncooperative alleged victim, it’s difficult for law enforcement to charge Senator Jordan knowing that a conviction would be difficult without his wife’s cooperation. Although some, and arguably all, of the 911 call could potentially be admissible thanks to opinions by the United States Supreme Court. Regardless, in my opinion, after listening to the recording, Melissa sounds like a woman who has gone from fearing whatever was going on in that house that night to fearing what will happen to her because she called 911. I’ve heard too many of these kind of comments when I did criminal defense work.

Whereas the situation with Mecklenborg could be considered somewhat comical, this is just tragic.

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Welcome to life in Delaware County, Ohio! My guess is that she called and then remembered where she lives and that she would have to deal with Delaware County over this and decided it was not worth the bother. I don’t blame her at all.

Anonymous

I think we’re still intending to post the actual audio of the calls. Having heard them, her reaction seems to me to be one of fear. Genuine fear.

I live in Senator Jordan’s district. Equality Ohio’s Lobby Day in 2009, our LGBT advocacy groups had an appointment to talk with (then) Rep. Jordan. He not only didn’t show for our appointment, he sent an aide to tell us he knew “who we were” and “what we were about” and that he would not meet with us (his constituents). He has run for both offices on the platform of traditional Christian values as an active member of his church. Hypocrisy, they name is Jordan!

The Family Values Party is on a roll in this state!!!!! Way to go GOP. Keep up the good work.

dirtgirl

So, according to the Dispatch, she regrets the call, isn’t pressing charges, and they are going to work on “strengthening their relationship even more.”

creepy.

Anonymous

Is it possible to see if Mr. Jordan has had any other interaction with law enforcement? There are 87 other counties to check. If someone can reach out to Mrs. Jordan where she works, that might be helpful.

former employee

This couldn’t be happening to a bigger prick! I left Delaware County because of the likes of him!

Anonymous

WTF? Seriously, you make no sense anymore.

Anonymous

Are you drunk? Seriously, your comments make no sense. Oh… I see, you’re feining ignorance that you cannot comprehend sarcasm.

Anonymous

Jordan should be ashamed of himself. I’ll sleep just fine.

BTW, police officers get desk duty all the time due to just accusations, genius. Even with their “corrupt” union representation and all.

A person who carries a weapon while intoxicated should not be permitted to carry a concealed weapon. Period. Any reasonable gun owner would agree.

Anonymous

It doesn’t take a genius to see what happened here, at the very least sounds like a drunken argument that got out of control, and apparently happens a lot in their home according to quotes from the caller/wife. Sounds like guns were flashed around too, why else would the wife make it a point to say he put it away.

At the very least, the Senator should answer to the people about exactly what happened and get some help.

Too bad he wasn’t a lowly police officer, he would’ve had his gun taken away and assigned a desk job already, while the department conducts a full on hardcore investigation.

Here it looks like he’s getting away with it, even the police report’s narrative section appears to have been redacted/altered. I never in my life have seen that happen, after the initial report was made.

Anastasjoy

Love this final sentence from his official bio: “Kris and his wife, Melissa, live in Powell and attend LifePoint Christian Church. They have been married since 2008, and both hold concealed carry permits.”

That he would include that tells me he has the mindset of an aggressive bully.

mvirenicus

i have no sympathy. it’s her fault for dating or marrying a republican.

Anonymous

I don’t think she was suggesting that Traditional Christian values corner the market in condemning domestic violence, genius.

I think her point is about hypocritical politicians who wear their religion on their sleeve and not their heart.

You fail logic.

Anonymous

I’d rather learn you were drunk than just an idiot. But if that’s what you’re going with… okayyy…

Cimabuehw

IT takes a long time for abused women to get out. I carried women to safe houses out of range of a dangerous partners. It was usually anywhere from 2 to 3 years between first contacts with me and the actual escape.

Cimabuehw

This is actually fairly typical behavior by the person who is abused. It take a long time before they call, it takes a long time before they get out. By the time this woman called, I can promise that she was systematically isolated from all of her safety networks. Now, she doesn’t know where to turn, except to him or the police. The partner doesn’t give a damn about her safety and the police don’t want to deal with her.

Cimabuehw

This remark is completely out of order whether no matter which party you belong.

In the UK police would take his guns on the spot and he (nor any other spouse abuser) would not see them for years! It’s automatic – go violent in any form and you lose your guns. That is a sane gun law, vs. the “Rights” bullshit we have to endure.

FredDavis

Don’t even bother approving my previous reply to this?

Anonymous

Cops are permitted to drink in the job? Really? And police officers aren’t pulled from duty when under investigation of a crime involving their firearm? And you would know this how? Seriously, Fred, what’s your background? Because I’ve reviewed countless police policy manuals, and I’ve NEVER heard of a law enforcement agency that didn’t pull a police officer off the street and pull his gun under these circumstances? So, tell me, Chief, where you get your information from?

Seriously, Fred, what’s your background to come here and educate us on the right of cops to drink and be armed? Because when I look at the Ohio Revised Code, I find a crime called Using a Weapon While Intoxicated (R.C. 2923.15), and there’s no law enforcement exemption in it.

Due process comes from the government, not from other individuals. The officer checked the form saying he was intoxicated. That’s based on the officer’s own observations (and perhaps Jordan’s admission.) We weren’t given a copy of the witness statements and the officer’s full narrative of his investigation because it’s still an open case.

I love how you conservatives now want to give a defendant the right of no pretrial publicity of the evidence of their alleged crimes. You guys turn into bleeding hearts when its one of your own.

If Jordan thinks I’ve violated his civil rights, he’s welcome to sue us. But since I’m not the government, he’s going to have a hard time making a federal case of us reporting facts in a public record.

Just like you did with Mecklenborg, you’re trying to slime the message in the hopes that you can drag us down to the level of the slime you’re ultimately trying to defend.

Anonymous

Believe it or not, I don’t spend all my time worrying if I’ve responded to every one of your hack comments defending Mecklenborg and Jordan.

Sorry, Fred, I’m just not that into you. Perhaps you should see other bloggers. You’ll find “the one” someday, kid.

Anonymous

I know several religiously intolerant people who attend LifePoint Christian Church. Not surprised that an abusive bully is a member.